BUILDING GUIDED PATHWAYS: MDC’S SHARK PATH

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Objectives for Today

• Learn how one large college deployed resources to• Institutionalize a new integrated pathways model• Drive action and results• Build organizational capacity and flexibility• Create and sustain change

• Identify strategies, processes and structures you can implement

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Agenda

•Overview•Shark Path •Strategies, success

indicators and

continued improvement•Lessons learned

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Miami Dade College: A Brief Overview

The challenges of a large, urban and diverse institution•7 campuses and 3 centers•67K degree seeking students

• 90% minority• 67% low income• 70% employed

•Historically, more than half placed into at least one level of Dev Ed•Completion rates ranging from 13-39% at start of CBD

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Aggressive College-wide Goals

Improve Progression and Completion Rates via increased• Enrollment• Progression, persistence and retention• Benchmark (25%, 50%, 75%, 100% ) achievement

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The MDC Student Pathway Integrated academic and student services support

from high school through graduation/transfer

Pre- College Advising: Strategies

• Pro-active outreach and case management• Connecting HS career academies to MDC programs• Target reminders about registration requirements• Shark Academy summer enrichment program• Scholarship opportunities

• Relevant on-campus events and workshops• Financial Aid• Program of Study• Career Exploration

• Collaboration with academic affairs for recruitment

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• On-site advising at 53 high schools covering 88% enrollment

• Applications increased 22% since 2012• Enrollment increased 10% over same period• High schools with PCAs have a 56% conversion rate,

compared to 52% overall

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Pre- College Advising: Success Indicators

• Expand career assessment and exploration activities • Recruit career academy students for AS programs with

articulation credits • Redesign Shark Academy to improve college readiness• Offer Shark Start orientation in high schools• Create strategies for 10th and 11th grades• Roll out to non-FTIC-DE students

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Pre College Advising: Next Steps

Course Sequence Guides Strategies

• Simple and clear description of courses and course sequences• Required for graduation• Required for admission into baccalaureate programs at

most common transfer institutions• In logical order to build pre-requisite skills and

competencies• For programs of study representing ~80% student

population• Including algebra vs on-algebra math tracks depending

on program of study

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Multiple Measures of AssessmentPlacement Recommendations

• Multiple measures algorithm translates student transcript data into recommendations for first math and English courses •Existing placement test information•High school courses and grades•Program of study choice

• Course placement recommendations populate first semester MAP before students meet with advisors•Academic departments support advisors at Shark Start

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Academic & Career Advising Strategies

• Prior to campus orientation• Non-cognitive diagnostic• On-line orientation

• At mandatory Shark Start campus orientation• Meet assigned advisor• Discuss placement recommendations and course selection• Register for first semester

• At first semester advising• Confirm program of study and transfer institution• Complete MAP• Discuss non-cognitive issues

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Academic and Career AdvisingSuccess Indicators

• 95% FTIC-DE now attend Shark Start, up from 86% at beginning

• 94% students choose program of study and have full MAP by end of first semester and have

• Enrollment in math, English and first program of study courses up significantly

• Approximately 80% AA students enrolled in FYE course• But,

• Students with sophomore status increased only slightly from 11%-15%

• Fall to fall retention increased by 2 percentage points only

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Academic & Career CollaborationNext Steps

• Redesigned gateway math• Active learning• Aligned supplemental instruction• Pro-active interventions

• Intentional linking of FYE and first semester advising• Non-cognitive and academic interventions• Earlier pro-active career exploration

• Greater emphasis on second semester• Sequential course-taking• Early alerts and interventions

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Coaching & Mentoring Strategies

• Provide more in-depth career and transfer advising for students at 25%+ benchmarks• Progress monitoring and intervention• Internship and community engagement opportunities • Career planning and guidance• Mentorship

• Coach/mentors include faculty, departmental advisors and academic chairs• All participate in intensive training and development • “Buddy” relationship and support with Student Services

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• 12,500 students transitioned to date• More than 300 volunteer coach/mentors, including

~40% full time faculty• Strong feedback about benefits from students• But, student participation is low—not mandatory!

• Outreach/awareness campaign in fall 2015• Registration hold for students in academic difficulty

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Coaching & MentoringSuccess Indicators

Coaching & Mentoring Next Steps

•Local coordinators to celebrate student success and drive participation•Improved assignment and re-assignment processes•Prior-learning assessment training requirements•Expanded professional development, especially career exploration

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Network of students, faculty and advisors with similar academic interests and career goals to promote•Student engagement and development•Progress and persistence•Global citizenship and lifelong learning

Currently operational in •Health Sciences•Criminal Justice•Business

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Communities of Interest: The Glue for Shark Path

What we learnedLesson 1

Moving the needle on student success takes time• Cumulative impact of a system of strategies,

processes, interventions and structures

After 3 years, most leading indicators moving in the right direction

• But no meaningful movement in retention or benchmark achievement yet

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What we learned Lesson 2

Improving student success is an on-going, iterative process•There is no perfect solution

We learn best by doing the work• Best practices identified and proven• Success is defined by execution: “the devil is in the

details”• Broad and deep scale is required• People own what they create

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What we learned Lesson 3

Significant progress can be made without a lot of new investment

Re-allocate existing resources strategically• Focus on what we can influence/control• Stop doing low value-add activities• “Prove-in” new models and ways of doing business first

Redesign business processes before adding new people or technology

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What we learnedLesson 4

Measuring progress regularly and routinely drives learning and improvement

• Clear metrics/KPIs• Timely assessments and data sharing• Data in every discussion• Operational decision-making vs reporting data• Transparency and visibility• Structured methodologies, tools and templates

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What we learnedLesson 5

Success and sustainability require organizational strength• Broad and inclusive engagement, collaboration and

learning• Culture of inquiry and innovation• Capacity, flexibility and adaptability• Tolerance for risk, uncertainty and setbacks

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What we learnedLesson 6

On-going and intentional professional development is necessary to change a culture

• Practical, hands-on strategies for daily interactions• Structured opportunities to leverage discrete strategies

into integrated solutions

At MDC, 15 minutes of training for every hour of service delivery over first two years

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Summary

Just do it!

Build the foundation for student success and achievement

Big

Urgent

Inclusive

Leadership at all Levels

Data-informed

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